This gorgeous house on the edge of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_House_Mountains_(Queensland)" target="_blank">Glass House mountain range</a> on Australia's Sunshine coast celebrates the surrounding environment while minimizing its impact. Taking inspiration from the surroundings, <a href="http://www.barkdesign.com.au" target="_blank">Bark Design Architects</a> designed this private residence to be a place of "glass and stone" with a deep connection to the earth and an expansive view of the landscape. The home maximizes passive design elements like daylighting, shade and ventilation to create a comfortable climate. Built from local or sustainable materials, the <a href="http://www.barkdesign.com.au/project/maleny-house-0" target="_blank">Maleny House</a> is dedicated to the surrounding environment.

1

Maleny House-Bark Design

Perched on the edge of the Glass House range, the <a href="http://www.barkdesign.com.au/project/maleny-house-0" target="_blank">Maleny House</a> is sited to take in the views.

2

Maleny House-Bark Design

Bark Design Architects looked to the site for inspiration and designed the home to make the most of the location's topography, orientation, views and vegetation.

3

Maleny House-Bark Design

The home's layout was arranged to create courtyards and open the home up to the sun and breezes.

4

Maleny House-Bark Design

The home is at once both anchored and light and floating.

5

Maleny House-Bark Design

Surfaces, finishes and details exhibit the Japanese idea of wabi sabi, where imperfect, impermanent and incomplete things are seen as beautiful and are allowed to weather and evolve with time.

6

Maleny House-Bark Design

As for sustainability, many green building strategies are embedded in the design.

7

Maleny House-Bark Design

This includes excellent solar orientation, using the Northern courtyard to collect winter sun, passive climate control, the use of thermal massing, and summer sun shading.

8

Maleny House-Bark Design

Natural ventilation is encouraged with the help of louvers, stack effect, cross-flow strategies, and evaporative cooling.

Rainwater is harvested and collected in a 85,000 liter cistern and used throughout the site for irrigation of the landscape, which incorporates plant species that are endemic to the region.

11

Maleny House-Bark Design

Open, airy and bright, the home seeks to be part of the landscape.

12

Maleny House-Bark Design

Ground floor plan.

13

Maleny House-Bark Design

First floor plan.

14

1/14

Maleny House-Bark Design

This gorgeous house on the edge of the Glass House mountain range on Australia's Sunshine coast celebrates the surrounding environment while minimizing its impact. Taking inspiration from the surroundings, Bark Design Architects designed this private residence to be a place of "glass and stone" with a deep connection to the earth and an expansive view of the landscape. The home maximizes passive design elements like daylighting, shade and ventilation to create a comfortable climate. Built from local or sustainable materials, the Maleny House is dedicated to the surrounding environment.